A Thank You Letter To The Best Teacher Ever

During our time in school, we all have many teachers- some we feel indifferent about, some we loathe, and the special ones that stand out to us as the best of the best. A good teacher can make or break a school year for a student and some of us are lucky enough to have more than one of these teachers. The best teachers go the extra mile to connect with their students and we may have never given them the thanks that they truly deserve.

So hey teacher, thanks for doing all of these things for me:

Being hard on me

Sometimes I just need that extra push of confidence or other times for someone to sit me down and be real with me. I appreciate all of the times you gave me constructive criticism, even if it meant hours of extra work to get that good grade. Thank you for being able to be hard on me when you knew it could allow me to do better.

Being honest with me

That paper that I wrote at midnight the night before it was due? I knew it wasn't good. Thank you for being able to kindly tell me that and help me to work on making it better.

Motivating me

With tons of classes each having their own assignments, it is very easy to get stressed out. Thank you for motivating me to push myself when I was up to my eyeballs in work, or even when I was having just an off day.

Making class fun

Sometimes class can be painfully boring, we both know it's true. But you always created fun and engaging assignments and activities for class that made learning something I had no interest in, fun. Thank you for putting that extra time and effort in so that we could all learn something that was required but also have fun doing it.

Teaching me life lessons

Whether you knew it or not, you taught me more than just a subject in school. The best kinds of teachers give criticism, advice and compliments that stay with their students for life. Thank you for being one of those teachers to me.

Giving me advice

Not all teachers can double as a therapist, but you're not all teachers. Thank you for the advice you gave me for my paper, a problem I was having, or whatever it may have been.

Being patient with me

Not everything comes naturally for everyone. Thank you for being the kind of teacher I felt I could always go to for extra help so that I could work through what I was struggling with.

Putting up with my class

Or kids in general. It takes a special kind of person to be able to put up with kids all day every day, but you are a natural at it. So for the kids who are quiet and even the trouble-makers, thank you for putting up with all of us.

Having a passion for teaching

Some teachers you can tell, don't want to be there. You are the kind of teacher that has such a joy and passion for teaching that it is contagious to your students and makes us more excited for class. Thank you for letting your passion shine.

All the time you put in

I can't imagine how many hours upon hours of you free time were spent grading projects and papers, creating assignments, making lesson plans, and even spending your own money so that our class could do something fun, get extra supplies for us, or have a pizza party. Thank you for the time and effort you put into class. (It didn't go unnoticed.)

Making us laugh

If you were telling a corny joke, being goofy, or making a funny mistake, you always were making me laugh. Thank you for being funny whether you meant to or not.

You go above and beyond to be the best teacher that you can be, and it really stuck out to me. It was a privilege to have you as a teacher, I enjoyed your class, and wanted you to know that when I think of the best teacher I ever had, you immediately come to mind.

5 Perks Of Having A Long-Distance Best Friend

Sometimes, people get annoyed when girls refer to multiple people as their "best friend," but they don't understand. We have different types of best friends. There's the going out together best friend, the see each other everyday best friend and the constant, low maintenance best friend.

While I'm lucky enough to have two out of the three at the same school as me, my "low maintenance" best friend goes to college six hours from Baton Rouge.

This type of friend is special because no matter how long you go without talking or seeing each other, you're always insanely close. Even though I miss her daily, having a long-distance best friend has its perks. Here are just a few of them...

1. Getting to see each other is a special event.

Sometimes when you see someone all the time, you take that person and their friendship for granted. When you don't get to see one of your favorite people very often, the times when you're together are truly appreciated.

2. You always have someone to give unbiased advice.

This person knows you best, but they probably don't know the people you're telling them about, so they can give you better advice than anyone else.

3. You always have someone to text and FaceTime.

While there may be hundreds of miles between you, they're also just a phone call away. You know they'll always be there for you even when they can't physically be there.

4. You can plan fun trips to visit each other.

When you can visit each other, you get to meet the people you've heard so much about and experience all the places they love. You get to have your own college experience and, sometimes, theirs, too.

5. You know they will always be a part of your life.

If you can survive going to school in different states, you've both proven that your friendship will last forever. You both care enough to make time for the other in the midst of exams, social events, and homework.

Beautiful: Nine Letters, Infinite Meanings

While anxiously waiting for my show to turn back on during a commercial break, one commercial specifically caught my eye. It starting out with a blonde-haired woman, standing proud with a noticeable scar down her nose. As they flip to some clips of a diverse set of women, a power voice begins to speak. The first line immediately took hold of my attention.

"Beautiful, one word that holds the weight of thousands. We collect false promises, contorting ourselves to fit inside those letters"

The commercial captures a diverse set of women as they confidently exemplify their own beauty in a day to day setting. In doing so, they are encouraging individuals to redefine what beauty really is, in this case, through appearance. Macy's is sending the message to their buyers that their products provide individuals the opportunity to express themselves in whatever way they want with their new spring collection. By going beyond the boundaries that are socially installed our expectations are expanded.

As silly as it sounds, the Macy's advertisement made me think. It made me think of the concept of beauty, and how we perceive it.

Beauty to us is a social construct. You scroll through your feed of bronzed, tall and thin figures and you are fed to think that she is the one and only form of beauty worth striving for. You look in the mirror and pick out your flaws and imperfections thinking that it lessens your beauty. We are taught to believe that beautiful has one meaning and that definition cannot stray from the cover of a magazine.

But in reality, Beauty is fluid. It is what you want it to be. It is an appearance. It is a perception. It is imperfect.